Electric temperature-alarm.



PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

I c. P. HEPLER. ELECTRIC TEMPERATURE ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED PEB- 6.1906.

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ELECTRIC TEMPERATURE ALARM;

' INVENTOR (Zwarz f zfs'pler ATTORNEYS" I I 7.. 7.. i l i i n i 1 1 r 1F i i r 5 i a a l t 5 Z a t I i 1 5 i i i i 5 i i E 5 1 i i 5 Q 3W/TNEssEs Patented July 4, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

COWAN P. HEPLER, OF SMITHTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC TEMPERATURE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,012, dated July 4,1905.

Application filed February 6, 1905. Serial No. 244,463.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOWAN P. HEPLER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Smithton, in the county of VVestmoreland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved ElectricTemperature-Alarm, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an alarm device for application to a receptacleand designed to give a signal when any certain predetermined temperatureis reached in the receptacle.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide an alarm of thecharacter indicated which can be readily set for any desired temperature, which will be entirely automatic in operation, which will be usefulin a large number of different kinds of businessas, for example,distilleries, breweries, bakeries, confectioneries, &c.-and which at thesame time will be exceedingly simple in construction and easy tomaintain.

Heretofore alarm devices for analogous uses have been made by simplyattaching a wire to the bulb. If this wire is made of any metal exceptiron, steel, or platinum, the mercury will gradually amalgamate with it,and thereby soften it, so as to force its way out. if, on the otherhand, the wire is made of iron, steel, or platinum and attached to amash-tub in a distillery or brewery, the mash will corrode the wire, asnothing but brass or copper will withstand the chemical action of themash. With my device a platinum, iron, or steel wire is inserted in abulb and protected from the mash. The connections are therefore of sucha nature as to withstand long usage and are not exposed to the action ofthe mash. In its preferred form my device is also so constructed thatthe brass which is employed to protect it from the mash is not exposedat any place to the action of the mercury. I also provide means forinsuring a positive electrical connection for the device, suchconnection being protected from the action of the mash.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying the princlple of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectlonal view of a portion of a mash-tub,showing my device applied thereto;

other material contained in the mash-tub...

They may be covered by porcelain or any other inert substance upon theirexterior surfaces to further protect them from said mash or othermaterial and the cap with an iron lining to protect it from mercurytherein. A thermometer-bulb (Z, of glass or similar material, is 10- Icated within the cap 0 and is provided with a platinum contact-piece 6,extending through a wall thereof. This bulb is filled with mercuryf, andthe space between the bulb and the cap is also filled with mercury f. Itwill be seen that the platinum piece 6 insures an electrical connectionbetween the two bodies of mercury. The space between the neck (6 of themercurybulb and the plug a is filled with plaster-of-paris g or anyother similar material in order to seal the body of mercury f from theoutside of the mash-tub. The neck (Z' extends to the exterior of thetank and is provided with a straight portion (Z forming a thermometerfor the purpose of showing the temperature within the tank. Theoperation of this thermometer will be readily understood. It ispreferably contained in a casing h, fastened to the exterior of the tuband provided with a glass cover 7/. Through the walls of the thermometerare sealed a series of platinum wires/t. On their outer ends these wireseach connect with a metal block Z. These metal blocks are arranged in aseries along the thermometer and are insulated from each other by beinginlaid in a hard-rubber strip m. A contacting strip a is placed adjacentto the hard rubber strip,

and this and the blocks are provided with notches and n for thereception oi a contact-plug v. The stripa is insulated from the casingand is provided with a binding-post 7), insulated by means ol a rubberwasher 1 From the casing h. The casing //i, being in electrical contactwith the plug 7), is provided with a bii'iding- 'iost r, and it will beobvious that these two bindingmosts are normally insulated from eachother, the current being broken unless the plug 0 is inserted in one olthe pair of notches and n. The blocks/ and their platin um connectors fialso being insulated from the casing by the rubber strip 11/ and theglass tube (1 the circuit will also be broken at the end of the platinumconnector opposite the block with which the plugis c0nnected unless themercury within the thermometer is sulliciently high to come into contactwith that particular platinum connector. It will be seen, therefore,that by placing the plug 0 in any desired one of the notches the wholedevice is so set that an alarm will be given when the temperaturereaches that point provided the binding-posts 7) and 1' are properlyconnected up with a source ol electric energy and a. signal device ofany desired kind.

it will he seen that by the construction of a temperatu yalarm accordingto the principle set forth above, whether in the form illustrated or inany other term coming within that principle, a device ol greatsimplicity and cheapness, as well as eilicicncy, is obtained; that theelectric contact in the bulb is made in a manner which renders that partof the device practically indestructible lrom ordinary usage, and thatall the connections are fully protected, from all kinds of corrosionfrom the materials desired to be employed in the receptacle.

H aving thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A tcmperature-alarm, comprising a receptacle foran expansible material, a series of contact-blocks located adjacentthereto and insulated from each other, means for connecting each blockwith the interior of the receptacle, a conducting strip adjacent to theblocks, and means for connecting the strip with any one of the blocks.

2. A temperature-alarm, comprising an insulating-receptacle forexpansible material, a series of conducting contact-blocks located aljaceut thereto and insulated from each other, means individual to eachblock for connecting it with the interior of the receptacle, a cenducting-strip located adjacent to the blocks, each of said blocks havinga notch and said conducting-strip having a series of notches oneadjacent to each of said blocks, and a plug adapted to be inserted insaid notches for connecting the conducting-strip with any desired one ofthe blocks.

3. A temperature-alarm, comprising a conducting-casing, aninsulating-receptacle lor expansible material located in the casing, aseries of contact-blocks located adjacent to the receptacle andinsulated from each other and from the casing, means For connecting eachblock with the interior of the receptacle, a comlucting-stri p l(e catel adjacent to the blocks and insulated from the re ::eptacle, and meansfor connecting the said strip with any one of the blocks.

4-. A temperature-alarm, comprising a conducting-casing, aninsulating-receptacle I'or expansible material located in the casing, aseries of con tact-blocks located adjacent to tl as receptacle andinsulated from each other and from the casing, means for ctmnecting eachblock with the interior ol' the receptacle, a comlucting-strip locatedadjacent to the blocks and insulated l rom the recaaptacle, means Forcormecting the said strip with any one oi the blocks, a bulb connectedwith said receptacle and projecting therefrom, a body oi. mercurylocated outside said bulb, and means within the walls of the bulb forconnecting the material inside the bulb with said mercury.

5. A temperature-alarm, comprising a conductil'ig-casing, aninsulating-receptacle for expansible material located in the casing, aseries of contact-blocks located :uljacent to the receptacle andinsulated from each othc 'and from the casing, means for connectii'igeach block with the interior ol the receptacle, a conducting-striplocated adjacent to the blocks and insulated from the receptacle, meansfor connecting the said strip with any one of the blocks, a bulbconnected with said receptaclii and projecting therefrom, a metallic caplo cated outside of said bulb, a body ol comlucting liquid locatedbetween the bulb and cap, a liquid connection between the cap and saidcasing, and an electric connection bctweoi'i the liquid inside the bulband the liquid outside it.

G. The combination with a tank having a passage therethrougl'i, of acasing located on the outside of said tank, a tllermometer in saidcasing, a series ol COIltiLCll-PlOCOS located in the walls of saidthermometer and extend ing outside thereof, a comlucting-strip, meansfor connecting any desired one of said contact-pieces with saidconducting-strip, a plug in electrical connection with said casing andextending through the wall of said tank to the inside thereof, the bulbof said thermometer being located inside the tank and passing throughsaid plug, and means for protectiiig said bulb from the contents of thetank.

7. The combination with a tank, of a conducting-casing located on theoutside thereof, a thermometer in said casing, meansfor setting saidthermometer to form an electrical connection when the mercury risesbeyond any desired point, the bulb oi? said thermonr eter passingthrough the wall of the tank and being located inside thereof, a plug inthe conducting liquid located Within said cap in contact with theexterior of said bulb, and a conducting material passing through theWall I 5 of said bulb.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

COVVAN P. HEPLER.

Witnesses:

S. L. HoUeiI, JOSEPH SMITH.

